Higashiokitama

The Okitama basin lies among the mountains of southern Dewa, with Yonezawa as its chief castle town. After the battle of Sekigahara, Uesugi Kagekatsu lost his vast holdings in Aizu and was transferred to Yonezawa in 1601. His retainer Naoe Kanetsugu directed the construction of the castle town, arranging residences and streets around its fortifications. The reduced domain remained under the Uesugi, whose government shaped the surrounding countryside throughout the Edo period.